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BROWNSBURG, Ind. (September 3, 2013) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced today that it is sched­uled to test Fire­stone Indy Lights rookie and race winner Jack Hawksworth, 22, at Sebring Inter­na­tional Raceway on September 17. It will be the first time for Hawksworth to drive an Indy car.

“I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of an IndyCar!” said Hawksworth. “I have been working towards this moment since the day I first jumped into a go-kart many years ago, and I feel ready to use all those years of expe­ri­ence now at the highest level. Thank you to my manage­ment team, my supporters, Honda, Fire­stone and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for handing me this great oppor­tu­nity. Looking further ahead to 2014, I would obvi­ously love to be in an IndyCar seat, and if that happens, my aim will be the same as it has always been – to maxi­mize my poten­tial and that of the team and score as many points as possible. My goal isn’t simply to compete in IndyCar, it is to ulti­mately win IndyCar races and cham­pi­onships – and I know without any doubt that I can.”

Hawksworth, a native of Brad­ford, York­shire, UK, earned his third Fire­stone Indy Lights win of the season from pole last weekend in Balti­more and is only 11 points from the cham­pi­onship lead with two races remaining. He stands fourth in series stand­ings after three wins, six top-three finishes and two poles in 10 events to date. Hawksworth came to Indy Lights in 2013 as the reigning Star Mazda cham­pion after having broken every record previ­ously set in that cham­pi­onship since its incep­tion over 22 years ago. He won in his Indy Lights debut at St. Peters­burg this season and led every lap en route to victo­ries in Toronto and Balti­more. He leads the series in laps led at 168.

“We are pleased to work with Jack on his first test in an Indy car and happy that he came to RLL for this monu­mental expe­ri­ence,” said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with CBSLATESHOW host David Letterman and Mi-Jack co-owner Mike Lanigan. “We have watched Jack from afar in Indy Lights; he is obvi­ously a proven winner there and there is no reason to think that he couldn’t be compet­i­tive in Indy cars and be a future winner there as well. We are anxious to put Jack in the car at Sebring and see how he does.”

Since begin­ning his motor racing career in karting back in 2004, Jack quickly estab­lished himself as a leading talent in grass-roots motor­sport, winning several titles and major events, including a junior Euro­pean karting crown. In 2010, Jack grad­u­ated into single-seater racing as the number one British driver in KZ1 karting and obtained instant success; claiming pole posi­tion in his first ever single-seater car race – a feat never achieved before in the history of the Formula Renault UK Winter Series. In 2011, he earned one win, one pole, four podiums and set the fastest lap three times in Formula Renault UK. He progressed to Star Mazda in 2012 where he broke every record on his way to being crowned cham­pion on the strength of eight wins, 11 poles and setting the fastest race lap 11 times. Jack moved to the Fire­stone Indy Lights Series in 2013 where he has earned three wins, two poles and has led the most laps at 168 after 10 of 12 races this season. He is ranked fourth in the point stand­ings with 362, only 11 out of first place with two races to go.

About Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, based in Hilliard, Ohio and Browns­burg, Ind., is co-owned by three-time IndyCar Cham­pion and 1986 Indi­anapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, CBSLATESHOW host David Letterman and Mi-Jack co-owner Mike Lanigan. The team is in the midst of their 22nd year of compe­ti­tion and is attempting to add to their 30 wins (20 – IndyCar, 10-ALMS) – including the 2004 Indy 500 from pole with Buddy Rice — their 42 poles (29 – IndyCar, 13 – ALMS) and three series cham­pi­onship (1992 – IndyCar, 2010 and 2011 – ALMS).